Fort Hays is new league rival for Lady Hornets not Washburn.
A column on the internet by Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal World writer, caught my eye last week. Keegan wrote that Iowa State, not K-State, should be considered KU’s rival in basketball because of how close the series has been in recent years.
Since Fred Hoiberg took over the Cyclones five years ago. They’ve taken KU to double overtime twice in the same season and beaten them three times. Many people picked ISU as a favorite to knock KU from their 10-year reign atop the Big 12, and with half the conference schedule remaining and only two games behind the Jayhawks, ISU still has a shot. The Cyclones will take anyone who fits with their up-tempo offense. They have five guys, who can pass, shoot and dribble. Their defense is mediocre but they don’t need a great D because they can out-score almost anyone.
The Wildcats, well, they’re the exact opposite. The “Sunflower Showdown” between KU and K-State has been about as one-sided as it gets. In 15 seasons as head basketball coach at the University of Kansas, from 1989-2003, Roy Williams went 50-6 against KSU. Since then, Bill Self is 24-4 against the in-state rival. And, the balance of power isn’t shifting anytime soon as the Wildcats are struggling to stay above .500.
The same thing can be said for the Emporia State Lady Hornets. The Turnpike Tussle between ESU and Washburn, has been a staple of Division II athletics for years now. No matter the records, it’s always a battle.
The ESU Lady Hornets have dominated the MIAA scene for years now, and are starting to take over the Turnpike Tussle. The Lady Hornets have won three straight in White Auditorium against the Ichabods and it could be four, if not for a game winning buzzer beater by the Bods three years ago.
While ESU is currently in second place in the MIAA, Washburn is struggling at just 6-7 in conference play, including a 61-55 loss to ESU Wednesday, Feb. 4 at White Auditorium.
Fort Hays, meanwhile is on top of the MIAA mountain at 12-0 in the conference, including a win at White Auditorium two weeks ago. The Lady Tigers put it on ESU from start to finish, winning 66-55 jumping out to a 25-8 lead. They made it hard for ESU to score all night, from essentially anywhere on the floor. The two schools have one game left in Hays, that could decide the conference champion.
I’m not saying that ESU and Washburn should not be considered rivals anymore because they will be until the end of time. But, maybe we should start looking at Fort Hays in that same contention instead of an after-thought.
